GREEN BAY - For Green Bay East High School senior Natalie Ysebaert, selecting a college wasn't a breeze. Her options were virtually boundless, as emails from colleges flooded her computer's inbox while fliers filled her home's mailbox.

"It was overwhelming," said Emily Ysebaert, Natalie's mother. "Stuff came from all over, from colleges we had never even heard of."

Like many high school students, Natalie was bombarded by college marketers as soon as she took the ACT college-prep test, which included providing her home and e-mail addresses, along with college majors she was interested in.

As competition grows in a time of stagnating enrollment, colleges near and far reach out to students in an effort to catch their eye. That can make an already challenging situation even more nerve-wracking, but parents and students say they've learned to handle the mountain of correspondence.

Natalie initially was interested in attending college in California, so she made a special binder for schools in that state. She also prioritized colleges, saving information from those she felt were in the running. Before ruling out schools, Natalie usually visited their websites to see if they offered the programming and campus life she wanted.

Emily Ysebaert and her daughter, Natalie, a senior at Green Bay East High School, display some of the college correspondence they have received in the mail over the past 18 months.
Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin(Photo: Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wi)

Emily Ysebaert, financial aid director for Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, wanted her daughter to make her own choice, but she offered suggestions.

"I had her look at the programming and how flexible it was," Emily said. "If she started out in one program, but then wanted to transfer to another program, did they have options for her to do that? My biggest concern was if she wasn't sure, could she transfer to something else and not lose credits?"

She encouraged Natalie to consider a school's programming, activities and academic support as part of her research.

"I was harping on her about it this summer," Emily said. "I wanted to make sure she really thought about these things."

Last fall, Natalie narrowed her choices to seven schools, and the final cut included two in Wisconsin and one in Minnesota. She decided to attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and major in biology, with a long-term goal of studying marine biology or doing research at a four-year university.

Natalie said she feels fortunate to find an affordable school that suits her so well. In the end, a visit to the school was the deciding factor.

"I think you just get a feeling, this is the school for me," Natalie said. "It feels like home. Some of my friends still are undecided about where to go, and I think it's because they weren't able to do a campus visit. It's hard to make a decision if you don't know what a campus is like. I had to do a lot of research."

An 'absolutely overwhelming' process

Even with her background in higher education, Emily Ysebaert found the months-long decision-making process challenging. She encourages parents to go through piles of information with their children.

"You know what they're good at, and what they like or don't like," she said. "Know your children well so you can steer them to a place they will be happy and succeed. It's scary, it is their future. Parents have to participate (and) ask some questions. Ask why they they are interested in a particular school or what it is they think they don't like."

High school students across Wisconsin feel the strain of college marketing as well.

“Absolutely overwhelming,” said Marisa Strobel, a senior at North Fond du Lac High School who has filled several shoe boxes with brochures since she took the PSAT test last fall.

“I should have never checked a box on the (test) application that asked if I wanted to be contacted by prospective schools. Big mistake,” said Strobel, who is planning a career in biomedical engineering.

So far, she has applied to seven schools – including public, private and military service academies – and is anxiously awaiting a response.

“Every single day when the mail comes, for the past year, there are at least three college brochures in my mailbox,” Strobel said. “The only positive thing I can say is that it did give me a broader perspective on all the educational opportunities out there.”

She likened the application process to having a part-time job.

“I thought I was prepared for all of this, but the information became overwhelming and confusing. I asked my guidance counselor for help every day, and I eventually got into a rhythm of asking for letters of recommendation, writing essays geared toward a certain school and formatting documents in the specific way they needed to be sent,” she said.

Finding the right fit

Justin Newhouse(Photo: Courtesy of Justin Newhouse)

School guidance counselors help students and parents navigate the college selection process.

“Financial costs are one variable, but feeling comfortable or making sure the college they finally choose is the right fit is another," said Jill Goebel, a guidance counselor at Horace Mann High School in North Fond du Lac. "One is not more important than the other, it is a combined necessity.”

Justin Newhouse, a Horace Mann senior, experienced smooth sailing through the college application process. He was accepted to his school of choice within a week – before he even had his references in place.

Newhouse, who said he always wanted to fly airplanes, will attend the aviation program at the University of Dubuque-Iowa.

“Applying for college, loans, scholarships was easier than I thought it would be," he said. "There is a huge shortage of pilots because all the Vietnam and Gulf War era pilots are or will be retiring, so maybe that had something to do with it."